Activities of Monika BEŇOVÁ related to 2019/2157(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the European Forest Strategy - The Way Forward
Amendments (80)
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
— having regard to Regulation No 1143/2014 of the EP and the Council on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species and the consecutive Implementing regulations with updates of the List of invasive species, among which also tree species,
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the European Union has committed to the achievement of the Aichi Targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity, such as target 7 requiring that by 2020 areas under agriculture, aquaculture and forestry are managed sustainably, ensuring conservation of biodiversity, but the Union is not set to meet the targets;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
— having regard to the responsibilities of the EU States under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD),
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union makes no reference to a common EU forest policy, and responsibility for forests lies with the Member States, but whereas the EU has a long history of contributing, through its policies, some of which already have implications on the Member States' forestry policies, to sustainable forest management (SFM) and the Member States’ decisions on forests;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas approximately 40% of EU's forests are publicly owned, Member States are obliged to set an example for sustainable forest management in their publicly owned forests for the public good;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas European forests absorb and store approximately 10% of EU carbon emissions, contributing thus to climate change mitigation efforts;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas forests and the entire forest-based value chain are fundamental to the further development of the circular bioeconomy as they provide jobs, ensure economic welfare in rural and urban areas, deliver climate change mitigation and adaptation services, offer health-related benefits, and protect the biodiversity and prospects of mountainous and rural areas and combat desertification;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the European Union has committed to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including goal 15 to Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas riverside forests have a very important role to play being natural protection against increase of water level during floods, but also in terms of preserving humidity in a situation of rising global temperature; whereas they play a key role in preserving biodiversity, but also tend to absorb among others agricultural mineral residues through the groundwater, thus limiting the expose of rivers to polluting factors; whereas in some member states there have been some regional projects of replanting riverside forests at least several meters from the river shore;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas sustainably managed forests are enormously important in guaranteeing jobs in rural areas, representing a benefit for human health, while at the same time making a vital contribution to the environment and biodiversity;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas the European Parliament has declared a climate and environment emergency on 28th November 2019;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas according to the IPBES Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of 2019, nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history and 1 million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas access to natural forest terrains and/or forest products comprise a crucial element for some breeds of domesticated or semi domesticated autochthonous and local breeds of animals, which have a high socio- economic and cultural value, such as the East Balkan swine or the Black Iberian pig; whereas the quality of the products from these animals depend highly on the presence of acorns and other forest products, which is why it is crucial to allow the breeders have access to the necessary conditions for the respective animal breeding;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas almost 23% of European forests are to be found in Natura 2000 sites, with the share in some Member States exceeding 50%, and almost half of the natural habitats in Natura 2000 areas are forests;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas High Conservation Value Forests (HCV Forests) have a crucial role to play in preserving vulnerable habitats, but also in enhancing science; whereas some EU member states have adopted targeted policies towards HCVF, which is commendable; whereas the added value from these forests cannot be compared or measured in economic terms, which makes it difficult at times to be understood by forest owners, which is why some sort of compensatory mechanism could be further designed, if and where applicable;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas according to the latest estimations, only 26% of forest species and 15% of the forest habitats were found to be in favourable conservation status1a; _________________ 1a https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/biodive rsity/forests/forest-dynamics-in-europe- and
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas forests can be sources of both primary forest products such as wood, they provide for valuable secondary products such as mushrooms, truffles, herbs, honey and berries, which are very important for the economic activities in some regions of the Union;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas it is clear that old growth forests, mixed stand forests and agroforestry offer climate, biodiversity and resilience benefits that exceed those of plantation forestry;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
Ce. whereas agroforestry, defined as land use systems in which trees are grown in combination with agriculture on the same land unit, is a suite of land management systems, which boost overall productivity, generate more biomass, maintain and restore soils and provide a number of valuable ecosystem services;
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the decision from the Commission to introduce a new forest strategy; stresses the need for the forest strategy to be fully observe the principle of subsidiarity; emphasises, in this regard,aligned with the European Green Deal and the upcoming 2030 biodiversity strategy; recalls that under Article 191 TFEU, Union policy on the environment shall contribute, among other objectives, to the pursuit of preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment, and to prudent and rational utilisation of natural resources; recalls that several pieces of EU legislation affect forests and forest management; emphasises the need for a holistic and consistent forest strategy that enhances the multifunctional role of forests and the forest-based sector in the EU and that promotes the far- reaching societal, economic and environmental benefits of forests; underlines the urgent need to prevent and manage natural disturbances; highlights that the forest strategy should not be subordinate to any other sectoral strategy in full respect of the Union's climate and environmental objectives;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
Ce. whereas socially and environmentally responsible hunting plays an important role also in forests and semi-forest regions through control of game or spread of disses on it, such as African swine fever;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C f (new)
Recital C f (new)
Cf. whereas forests play a crucial role in the fight against soil erosion, but also desertification of land masses; whereas studies show that trees in parks and city- environment have positive effect on keeping lower temperatures as compared to treeless areas;
Amendment 90 #
Cg. whereas in the current programming period (2014-2020) there are measures in the CAP targeted at helping economic actors in building capacities with regard to forestry management;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C h (new)
Recital C h (new)
Amendment 108 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that according to scientific research, sustainably managed forests have a higher CO2 absorption capacity than unmanaged forests; urges, therefore, that the new forest strategy should promote sustainable forest management; recognises the positive impactPoints out that there are diverging views on the CO2 absorption capacities of managed forests, with research indicating that old-growth forests absorb considerably more CO2 than plantation forests, while also being more resilient to disturbances and accommodating higher biodiversity; considers that the new forest strategy should promote sustainable forest management on the basis of a clear and ambitious EU-level definition; calls, to this effect, on the European Commission to develop a common definition of sSustainable forest management oin European forest biodiversity; notes that forest protection and production do not act in contradiction, but can in fact be complementary to one anotherthe EU on the basis of the highest sustainability standards and with the preservation of valuable carbon sinks and the conservation and restoration of forests and their biodiversity at its core;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Takes note of the fact that forests fulfil several, often-conflicting objectives (including regulating water quality, biodiversity protection and providing raw materials for paper, construction and energy), which is why, as a result, many of these forests fall consequently under distinct domains where the EU is competent, such as energy, agriculture, environment, climate and water, and many European Commission Directorates General are engaged in forest related issues1a although forests per se remain outside the realm of EU competences; calls, therefore, on the Commission and the Directorates Generals with forest- related competences to work strategically to ensure coherence in any forestry- related work and enhance the sustainable management of forests; as well as to review its organisational structures relevant to forest, agroforestry and the forest-based sector to ensure effective implementation of the strategy; _________________ 1ahttps://www.mdpi.com/1999- 4907/9/3/125/htm#
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Emphasises that the EU’s forests are multifunctional and characterised by great diversity, including differences in ownership patterns, size, structure, biodiversity, resilience and challenges; points out, in addition, that forests offer society a wide variety of ecosystem services including raw materials, improved air quality, absorbing and storing around 10% of EU carbon emissions thereby significantly contributing to climate change mitigation efforts, clean water, erosion control, and protection from droughts, floods and avalanches;
Amendment 143 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Emphasises the important role forests can play in substituting fossil-based materials with bio-based products; believes that the new forest strategy should reflect the importance of the role played by European forests and the EU’s circularpotential of the EU’s circular, sustainable bio- economy in reaching climate neutrality by 2050 and that measures to this end should be included; stresses, however, that measures in the new forest strategy concerning the bio- economy and use of wood biomass should duly take into account the impacts on the conservation of forest ecosystems and on CO2 sequestration; highlights that the new forest strategy must respect resource- efficiency and the principle of cascading use;
Amendment 154 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 – point a (new)
Paragraph 3 – point a (new)
(a) Points out that in the report on progress on the implementation of the EU Forest Strategy, it is noted that despite the action taken so far, the implementation of the EU biodiversity policy remains a major challenge 1a, and that the reports on the conservation of forest habitats and species show little improvement so far; calls on the Commission to integrate in the new forest strategy as a key component the protection and restoration of forest ecosystems and biodiversity; _________________ 1a https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/ rep/1/2018/EN/COM-2018-811-F1-EN- MAIN-PART-1.PDF
Amendment 156 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that forests and other wooded areas cover at least 43 % of the surface of the EU and that the sector employs at least 500 000 people directly3 and 2.6 million indirectly in the EU4 ; stresses that this workforce is dependent on a well- preserved and sustainably managed forest ecosystem in the long term; _________________ 3 Eurostat database on forestry, available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/forestry/d ata/database 4European Parliament fact sheet of May 2019 on the European Union and forests.
Amendment 165 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Urges the Commission and the Member States to reinforce the use of forest management plans, including through the creation of a harmonized framework for their establishment and implementation given that the current usage of forest management plans has varied considerably among the Member States;
Amendment 169 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Calls on the Commission to include in the new EU forest strategy binding targets for the protection and restoration of forest ecosystems in line with the EU’s biodiversity strategy; considers that the forest strategy should also include adequate instruments to reach these goals;
Amendment 175 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that research and technology have come a long way since the forest strategy was introduced in 2013; stresses the importance of encouraging further research in forestry and bio-based products and believes that EU funds for research should be further directed towards this; calls on the European Commission and Member States to also fund research and continue to gather data on innovative methods of protecting and building resilience of forests such as introduction of resilient species; stresses that more research and funding would make a positive contribution to climate change mitigation, sustainable economic growth and employment, especially in rural areas;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Acknowledges the crucial climate benefits of forests and the forest-based sector; highlights the need to increase CO2 sequestration in forests and agroforests, and their soils, carbon storage in wood- based products and the substitution of fossil-based materials and energy;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Reminds that there are several tree species in the List of invasive alien species of Union concern; notes that other invasive alien plants can also be met in forests; calls on all state, regional or local authorities as well as to any other stakeholder from the public, private or non-governmental sector, to include only local varieties of trees suitable for the given regions, while implementing various forest (re)planting projects and activities; calls also to the national responsible authorities to exchange information and best practicing with their partners from other member states on how to overcome the spread of invasive alien species in the forests and if possible how to reduce their presence with the aim of replacing them fully with local varieties;
Amendment 203 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Expresses its concern over the health condition and resilience of forests in many parts of Europe; highlights the need to strengthen and make full use of EU mechanisms to tackle the transboundary pressures on forests from the spread of invasive alien species, pests, and diseases. underlines that the new forest strategy should take into account that a diverse forest, especially if it reflects the composition that is natural to the region, is generally more resilient than mono-culture forest or forests that have short harvesting cycles; highlights the need to strengthen and make full use of EU mechanisms to tackle the transboundary pressures on forests; recalls that according to the European Environmental Agency the main sources 1a of pressure on forests in the EU are increased land use, expanding urban areas and climate change; emphasizes that the ecosystems are increasingly prone to natural disturbances such as storms, fires, droughts, invasive species, pests, insect infestation and diseases all amplifying vulnerability to climate change; _________________ 1aForest dynamics in Europe and their ecological consequences EEA, published 27th November 2018.
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Calls on the Member States to give the necessary provisions for breeders of autochthonous breeds of animals, which are dependent on access to forests, to get such smoothly so that jobs can be preserved in rural areas, which also preserves traditional knowledge and biodiversity, while at the same time providing quality products to the EU consumer;
Amendment 211 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 5 – point 1 (new)
(1) Points out that air pollution has a significant impact on not only human health but also the environment; invites the European Commission to explore the impacts of air pollution on forests and forest biodiversity in its upcoming zero- pollution action plan;
Amendment 212 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – point 2 (new)
Paragraph 5 – point 2 (new)
(2) Welcomes the launch of Forest Information System for Europe (FISE) on February 2020 that provides European data infrastructure in the area of forests; calls on the Member States to fully engage in sharing data and working towards a harmonized data framework on the state of forests in Europe; calls on the work of the FISE to be completed in a timely manner on all five priority themes; on forest basic data, bio-economy, nature and biodiversity, climate change mitigation and forest health and resilience;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Encourages the Member States to intensify their respective forestry stakeholders to reach to a broader segment of the population through educational tools and programmes both for pupils, but also for people of the other age groups, stressing the importance of forests both for human-led activities, but also for preserving biodiversity and various ecosystems;
Amendment 213 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – point 3 (new)
Paragraph 5 – point 3 (new)
(3) Stresses that the EU forest strategy should have as one of its objectives achieving a substantial increase in the proportion of forests species and habitats in favourable conservation status; calls on the strategy to include ambitious measures to this effect;
Amendment 214 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – point 4 (new)
Paragraph 5 – point 4 (new)
(4) Recognises that the EU forest strategy should take into consideration the high economic, social and cultural value of forests; points out that different economic activities related to forests can have varying disruptive effects on the forest ecosystems; stresses that the new EU forest strategy should encourage only that kind of economic activity that respects sustainable boundaries of forest ecosystems;
Amendment 215 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – point 5 (new)
Paragraph 5 – point 5 (new)
(5) Strongly encourages the limiting of the harvesting method of clear cutting and advocates increasing the use of continuous growing; recognizes that clear cutting of a forest releases majority of the residual carbon stock from the ground of the area into the atmosphere; stresses the need to promote alternative and less invasive methods of harvesting wood;
Amendment 216 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – point 6 (new)
Paragraph 5 – point 6 (new)
(6) Welcomes that, as announced in the European Green Deal, the new forest strategy will have as its key objectives effective afforestation, forest preservation and restoration; highlights, that the carbon capture potential of forest ecosystems continues to increase into the maturity of the forest ecosystem and that natural forests offer important benefits; stresses that priority should be given to the protection and restoration of existing forests, in particular old-growth forests;
Amendment 217 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – point 7 (new)
Paragraph 5 – point 7 (new)
(7) Considers that despite of the EU Timber Regulation, illegal logging still takes place in some EU Member States; calls on the Commission to finalise, without delay, the fitness check of EU rules against illegal logging, foreseen to be published in 2020 according to the Commission Work Programme, in order to make the necessary changes to the legislative framework; calls on the Commission to swiftly pursue infringement procedures when breaches occur;
Amendment 218 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – point 8 (new)
Paragraph 5 – point 8 (new)
(8) Stresses that the new EU forest strategy must strictly protect European primary forests against all activities, disturbances and fragmentation; notes with concern that data on primary forests remains incomplete, but according to available information only 46% of mapped primary forests in Europe have the highest status of protection, 24% are afforded a status of national parks and 11% remain unprotected 1a; calls on the Commission to propose without delay a comprehensive definition of primary forests and work to improve data collection on primary forests; _________________ 1a https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10. 1111/ddi.12778 figure 3.
Amendment 219 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – point 9 (new)
Paragraph 5 – point 9 (new)
(9) Recalls, that most of the EU forests are managed 1a, including majority of old growth forests; the improvement of the proportion of old growth forests requires an EU forest strategy with a long term planning; invites the Commission to propose a long term EU forest strategy for the improvement of the proportion of old growth forest; _________________ 1a https://science.sciencemag.org/content/35 1/6273/597.full
Amendment 220 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – point 10 (new)
Paragraph 5 – point 10 (new)
(10) Calls on the Commission to explore the potential of developing a legislative framework on a EU certification scheme for locally produced wood, that is based on the highest sustainability standards;
Amendment 221 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – point 11 (new)
Paragraph 5 – point 11 (new)
(11) Points out that there is scope for improvement in the uptake of Rural Development funds by Member States, especially in the programs related to improving forest biodiversity; calls on the Member States to use the available support measures for the conservation of forests and biodiversity; highlights also the importance of ensuring sufficient resources for the implementation of the new EU forest strategy;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Emphasises the crucial role of forests, agroforests, the forest-based sector and the bioeconomy in achieving the goals of the European Green Deal; stresses that achieving the EU’s environmental and climate goals will never be possible without multifunctional, healthy and sustainably managed forests and viable industries; encourages, in addition, actions tocalls on the Commission, in addition, to consider creating a special budget, outside the Common Agricultural Policy budget, to incentivise Member States to comply with EU-wide targets for increaseing forest cover, especially in areas not suitable for food production and those in proximity to urban areas, in order to mitigate adverse heat effects and pollution, while curbing deforestation;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Takes the view that the EU Forest Strategy should act as a bridge between national forest and agroforest policies and EU objectives relating to forests and agroforests, recognising both the need to respect national competence and the need to contribute to wider EU objectives, while coherently addressing the specificities of both private forests and publicly owned ones;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls on the Member States to improve national legislation to put in place, or strengthen where necessary, protection against illegal logging and loss of biodiversity;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Calls on the European Commission to encourage the commercialization of felled wood and trimmed wood/roundwood, instead of living trees from publicly-owned forests, as a method to prevent illegal logging and overexploitation, which would give state authorities more control over the volume of cut and commercialized wood, thereby discouraging illegal practices by privately contracted firms;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the European Commission to invest supplementary funds - additional to the budget already allocated to the CAP scheme - in an EU- wide action on reforestation, afforestation and to implement specific subsidies for forestry management and environmental protection, to contribute to the Green Deal 2050 climate change mitigation efforts;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Highlights the need to take into consideration the links between the forest- based sector and other sectors as well as the importance of digitalisation and investing in research and innovation, which can positively contribute to further solutions for climate change mitigation and job creation; stresses the crucial role of wood-based materials in substituting fossil-based alternatives in industries such as the construction industry, the textile industry, the chemical industry and the packaging industry;
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Recognizes the value of wood for energy purposes, but calls on the Commission and Member States to consider introducing binding sustainability criteria for biomass, in order to avoid overexploitation of wood resources and forests;
Amendment 322 #
16b. Considers that the EU should encourage the use of locally-sourced timber, harvested wood products or forest biomass in order to minimise the carbon footprint created by transport of imports from third countries and to stimulate sustainable local production and jobs;
Amendment 332 #
17. Stresses that due to climate change, natural disturbances such as droughts, floods, storms, pest infestations, erosion and fires will occur more frequently, causing damage to forests in the EU; emphasises, in this context, the need to better prevent such events by making forests more resilient, for example by encouraging forest grazing and the conversion of at-risk forests to agroforests, through more research and innovation and by offering better support mechanisms for affected areas and properties sto they can beprotect and restored them;
Amendment 342 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls on the state or regional actors, which responsible for forests, to support either with adequate resources or expertise and knowledge the repopulation of riverside forests, where relevant, with local and/or specialised stakeholders, with the aim of creating biodiverse habitats, after the creation of which ecological services, such as absorption of harmful substances, which circulate through groundwaters, will be achieved;
Amendment 345 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Given the worrying increased risk of forest fires in Europe, calls on the European Commission to include support for silvopasture (forest grazing) within the agroforestry measure and to encourage Member States to implement it in the next Rural Development programme;
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Calls on the members states where secondary forest products play an important socio-economic role to develop and enhance guidelines, or where necessary also national legislation with regard to practicing these activities;
Amendment 349 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Calls on the member states to design initiatives for preserving and where necessary establishing HCV Forests with necessary mechanisms and instruments for incentivising and compensating, where applicable, forest owners, so that knowledge and science can advance vis-à-vis these forests, alongside preserving natural habitats;
Amendment 355 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recognises the role of biodiversity in ensuring that forest ecosystems remain healthy and resilient; highlights the importance of the Natura 2000 sites; notes, however, that sufficientencourages further research into the relationship between biodiversity and resilience; notes, however, that technical advice and fresh financial resources are needed to manage such areas;
Amendment 376 #
21. Stresses the crucial importance of the CAP and forestry measures in implementing the EU Forest Strategy; encourages the continuity of forestry measures under the 2021-2027 CAP with the possibility of adding forestry activities to more measures than currently; highlights the need for other easily accessible, well-coordinated and relevant EU funding mechanisms; is worried at the same time that horizontal RDP measures such as “Young farmer” do not include forestry activities at least in some member states, which is illogical since investments in forestry often need intensive investment with return on investment coming back only in a few years’ time;
Amendment 388 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses the crucial importance of the CAP, forestry and agroforestry measures in implementing the EU Forest Strategy; encourages the continuity of forestry and agroforestry measures under the 2021-2027 CAP; highlights the need for other easily accessible, well- coordinated and relevant EU funding mechanisms;
Amendment 394 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Takes note of the challenge for both farmers and administrators in identifying and monitoring the preservation of landscape features, in particular those aiming to protect scarce woody vegetation; calls on the European Commission to reduce and simplify the administrative requirements, in order to boost woody vegetation promotion and preservation linked to landscape features policies associated with Pillar I and Pillar II payments;
Amendment 398 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls on the member states to align the various strategies and plans for forestry management so that the respective targets can be followed and corrected accordingly in due course, instead of creating administrative mosaics, which then threatens achieving the goals set in these strategic documents;
Amendment 402 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Takes note of the low uptake of the numerous measures within the 2014-2020 Rural Development Regulations designed to support the deliberate integration of woody vegetation with farming; therefore calls on the European Commission to bundle various agroforestry promotion initiatives in the post 2020 Common Agricultural Policy Reform into a unique “agroforestry” measure, which will promote the use of woody component in agrarian and forestry systems;
Amendment 404 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Calls on the European commission together with its respective agencies and centers, where necessary to invest in and where necessary intensify the research on finding a solution to the spread of the Cryphonectria parasitica on chestnut trees and forests;
Amendment 408 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Notes that no specific funds are allocated to improve the management and restoration of already existing agroforestry lands in a clear way; calls on the European Commission to integrate maintenance payments for agroforestry similar to those of afforested/reforested lands;
Amendment 411 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Paragraph 21 d (new)
21d. Calls on the European Commission to support the promotion of the recognition of the high quality products and ecosystem services that agroforestry delivers, by appropriate market promotion and agroforestry identification, or labelling;
Amendment 412 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 e (new)
Paragraph 21 e (new)
21e. Acknowledges the lack of knowledge about agroforestry among many farmers; calls, therefore, on the European Commission to promote EU- wide specialised training programmes, in order to make farmers and female farmers aware of the benefits and the practice of integrating woody vegetation with agriculture at local, regional and global scales;
Amendment 414 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 f (new)
Paragraph 21 f (new)
21f. Recognizes the significant capacity of agroforestry to boost overall biomass productivity and therefore encourages the European Commission to treat it as a productive measure; underlines that such mixed ecosystems produce more biomass and absorb more atmospheric carbon and therefore encourages promotion of agroforestry systems;
Amendment 415 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 g (new)
Paragraph 21 g (new)
21g. Calls on the European Commission to implement a common maximum EU-wide annual growth quota (excluding the protected areas) for wood harvesting in forests, based on different national criteria;
Amendment 416 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 h (new)
Paragraph 21 h (new)
21h. Calls on the European Commission to consider the implementation of EU-wide binding graduated forestry techniques from non- intervention in strictly protected areas, to limited interventions such as ecological and hygienic clearing in buffer zones; regrets the unsustainable practices and illegal logging taking place in such areas in some Member States; further calls on the Member States to consider stringent penalties for flagrant violations and a more efficient and rapid implementation of such penalties;
Amendment 446 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the need to develop an EU- wide Forest Information and Monitoring System for Europe under the shared responsibility of all of the relevant Commission Directorates-General, that is able to provide real-time information on forest resources, monitor whether natural reserves and protected trees are well preserved and forecast and measure the impact of natural disasters and disturbances on forest condition and health; stresses the importance of science- based, balanced information with socio- economic indicators for the development of any forest-related EU policy;
Amendment 449 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the need to develop an EU- wide Forest Information System for Europe under the shared responsibility of all of the relevant Commission Directorates-General; stresses the importance of science-based, balanced information with socio-economic indicators for the development of any forest-related EU policy; notes that national forest inventories represent a comprehensive monitoring tool for assessing forestry stocks and take into account regional considerations;
Amendment 459 #
24a. Welcomes the trend toward digitalization in the sector and calls on the European Commission to consider the implementation of an EU-wide digital wood-traceability mechanism for data gathering, consistent transparency, ensuring a level playing field, reducing uncompetitive behaviour and deliberate wrongful action in the wood trade, within and outside the EU, through a verification system; further takes the view that such a verification system would improve compliance, limiting and combating financial fraud, while hampering cartel practices and dismantling illegal logging logistical operations and movement; would further encourage exchanges of good practices with Member States which have already implemented such reforms at national level;